On April 15, 1985, Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Jimmie Elliott Linegar, 31, was killed during a routine traffic stop near Ridgedale, Missouri. Linegar and his partner had flagged down a 1974 Chevrolet van at the intersection of U.S. Highway 65 and Missouri Highway 86 when the driver, later identified as David C. Tate, produced a concealed MAC-11 automatic pistol and opened fire. Linegar was struck eleven times, several rounds penetrating his vest, and died shortly after being taken to Skaggs Community Hospital in Branson. His partner, Trooper Allen Hines, was wounded but returned fire as Tate fled into the Ozark hills.

Tate’s van contained automatic weapons, hand grenades, and survival gear. A massive manhunt involving hundreds of officers and the Missouri National Guard ended on April 20, 1985, with Tate’s capture in Forsyth; he was found with the weapon used in the attack. Tate was convicted in Boone County of first-degree murder for Linegar’s death and received life without parole; he was later sentenced to additional prison time for the assault on Hines and related charges. A stretch of highway has been renamed in Linegar’s honor.

If anyone knew Trooper Linegar or has information about the events that day, please share what you know.